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Chapter 12: Work Motivation Learning Objectives Explain five critical concepts central to work motivation. Understand the conceptual basis and degree of empirical support for these work motivation theories: expectancy, goal-setting, self-regulation, and work design. Understand the concept of work engagement. Provide an overview and synthesis of the work motivation theories. Give practical examples of applying motivational strategies. 1

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Chapter Summary Work motivation is one of the most fundamental and critical issues in understanding the way people behave in organizations. Motivation is a very complex topic, and various theories have been proposed to explain why people behave as they do. One set of theories posits that people differ in their motivation because of innate personality differences, perhaps of a genetic origin. The expectancy theory of motivation posits that individuals establish a linkage between what they want to attain, how well they must perform to get what they want, and how hard they must work to perform at that level. The goal-setting theory of motivation states that people intentionally set goals for themselves and then direct their behavior to attain the desired goal. A set of theories pertaining to the self-regulation theory of motivation assert that people set goals for themselves and then engage in a process of self-monitoring. The feedback they receive tells them whether they are on target in achieving their goals, and then they will adjust their effort and behavior accordingly. 6

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Chapter Summary (continued) The work design theory of motivation posits that the capacity for motivation lies not within people but within the work environment. Jobs can be designed in a way that motivates the people who perform them. Work engagement is a hybrid explanation of work motivation that draws upon many other theories in I/O psychology. The various theories of work motivation offer practical techniques that can be applied to enhance motivation. Recent research on motivation is directed toward understanding the process by which people adapt to their ever-changing jobs. 7